Rotatable Locking Member for Folding Wing Tip Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional locking mechanisms for folding wing tip devices on large passenger aircraft do not provide a secure fastening solution, limiting the reduction of aircraft wing span for ground operations and potentially compromising safety and airport clearance requirements.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable locking mechanism with a U-shaped receiving portion and a cylindrical locking pin, driven by a toothed actuator, which rotates 180 degrees to secure the wing tip device in flight configuration, featuring a secondary locking mechanism to prevent rotation and a landing to prevent pin hogging, ensuring secure locking and reduced complexity with a common drive source for multiple locking members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional locking mechanisms are used for folding wing tip devices, then the wing tip device can be secured in flight configuration, but the locking mechanism does not provide sufficient secure fastening and may compromise safety
Solution Approach 1:
The locking member is designed to rotate between locked and unlocked positions, transforming a static locking mechanism into a dynamic one. This rotational movement allows the locking pin to be securely retained in the locked position while enabling easy transition to unlocked position for maintenance or configuration changes
Solution Approach 2:
The locking pin is received within a U-shaped receiving portion of the locking member, creating a nested structure where the pin is contained within the recess. This nesting provides secure retention while allowing the locking member to rotate around the pin's longitudinal axis
2Length of moving object
If the wing tip device is moved to ground configuration to reduce aircraft wing span, then airport clearance requirements are met, but the locking mechanism must ensure secure fastening in both configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable locking member provides a dynamic locking solution that can securely fasten the wing tip device in the flight configuration. The rotational movement between locked and unlocked positions ensures reliable fastening while allowing easy transition when moving between ground and flight configurations
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism combines multiple components (locking member, locking pin, U-shaped receiving portion, actuator) into a composite system that provides secure fastening. The secondary locking mechanism adds an additional layer of security, creating a multi-component solution that addresses the reliability requirement
3Reliability
If a rotatable locking member with U-shaped receiving portion is used, then secure locking is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking member combines multiple functions into a single component: the U-shaped receiving portion retains the locking pin, the body provides structural support, and the actuator interface enables rotation. This merging reduces the overall number of separate parts while maintaining locking security
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member serves multiple purposes: it acts as a retaining structure for the locking pin, provides a rotational interface for the actuator, and creates the locked/unlocked states. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function
Data Source
AI summary
A rotatable locking member for locking an aircraft wing with a movable wing tip device. The rotatable locking member including a U-shaped receiving portion arranged such that in an unlocked position the locking pin may be moved into and out of the U-shaped receiving portion, and in a locked position the locking pin is not able to be moved out of the U-shaped receiving portion, and the rotatable locking member is configured to be moved between the unlocked and locked position by rotational movement around the longitudinal central axis of the locking pin.